


Knowing

by MartianLeech



Series: The Ghost Patrol [1]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 13:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2774738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MartianLeech/pseuds/MartianLeech
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Polly Shepard is an ordinary Alliance Marine. Former "street trash", she now faces an uncertain future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knowing

Polly rolls over in her standard issue, military cot, awakened by the unwelcome sound of orders.

"On your feet, Marine!" Colonel Rigger barks through the realms of sleep.

Polly throws the covers off, knowing there's much worse in store for her if she disobeys. Her feet find the floor and she stands at attention. There's nothing to fault in her posture at all. The fact she slept through the reverie, however, is a problem; Polly realises this as she looks around the empty mess hall. Rigger stands in front of Polly, her dark eyes flashing.

"You're lucky you passed training already, Shepard," Rigger says. "Or I'd guarrente that you would fail for sleeping in."

Polly stares straight ahead. The urge to retort is strong, maybe make a joke about Rigger's lack of height, yet she resists. That's what all the training did to her - the Reds would be disappointed in her, if the fact she joined the Alliance wasn't enough.

"But I'm here with good news," Rigger says. "We've found you a posting."

She shoves a tablet into Polly's stomach, who takes it. The bottom drops out of her stomach when she reads the ship's name.

"The  _Normandy_?" Polly says. "This has to be a mistake. There's no ship called the  _Normandy_."

"There is now," Rigger replies. "You'll be working with Captain Anderson, Shepard. You should have heard of him."

Polly stares into Rigger's eyes, bright, unnatural green into pure, natural black.

"But he's a hero, m'am," Polly says. "I'm just street trash."

"Oh so you do pay attention," Rigger smirks.

Polly narrows her eyes slightly, just slightly. She hopes Rigger doesn't notice.

"Anyway, Shepard," Rigger says. "You have until tomorrow night to leave. The  _Normandy_  will be here to pick you up then. More than enough time to say goodbye to your friends."

Polly doesn't like the face Rigger is making. She stays at attention until Rigger is out of the room, then Polly sits on her bed. All of her friends already found postings, and the ones left didn't want to associate with her. She bows her head. She had been thinking that there was something wrong with her, but now she realises that they were trying to find the best, most suited posting for her.

In short, she is going to be an amazing Marine.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been planning this for a while, but I have no idea where it's going to go. I might do a novelisation of sorts, or I might do a bunch of short stories. I'm not sure. Why not both?
> 
> Also the series title is a reference to an Australian graffiti artist named Ghost Patrol. I thought it appropriate since we all know what happens to Shepard at the start of the second game, even though it won't happen for quite a while story wise.


End file.
